Where To Look For A Nursing Job
Colleges provide many resources and pathways to the best nursing jobs for new grads. Campus career fairs allow students to meet with employers in person or online. Nursing school faculty also serves as a great resource to help students find internships or job opportunities.
Louise Weadock, the president and founder of ACCESS Nursing Services, says, “Much like Wall Street firms, many nursing schools are affiliating themselves with large healthcare systems to create feeder internships for future strong candidates.”
Students can often tap alumni networks to make connections that may lead to employment opportunities. It also helps to browse job boards, such as Indeed.com, NursingNetwork.com, and Monster.com. However, the enormous volume of job listings can prove overwhelming.
Weadock suggests searching directly on hospital websites to find career openings. Recruiters can also help graduates with no nursing experience.
Certain Experiences Matter More Than Others For The Er
If you love emergency care and want to work in a hospital, there are ways to be more competitive for those positions. I wish I had known that I needed experience in medical surgical nursing before specializing in something like the emergency department, says Mary Sweeney, RN, BSN, CEN, ONN-CG and medical consultant at Mom Loves Best. I had been a tech in the ER all throughout nursing school and was desperate to be an emergency nurse.
Med/surg nursing offers the ideal foundation to build on for emergency situations, Sweeney explains. You need to develop that sixth sense that tells you when a patient is going to go downhill, even when their vital signs say that theyre fine.
I always recommend that new graduate nurses gain at least a year of general medical nursing experience before going into emergency and critical care.
Excellent Jobs For Nurses Who Don’t Want To Be Nurses
Jobs for nurses who don’t want to be nurses abound. As a nurse, jobs in a wide range of sectors and settings could be open to you. Whether you’re looking to care for patients outside of a traditional hospital or you hope to get out of clinical work altogether, you have plenty of options to choose from.
And you’re certainly not alone in wanting to make a change. One study found that twenty-two percent of new RNs leave their positions within the first year. The majority move into other nursing roles rather than actually leave the profession. However, research from RNnetwork has revealed that close to 50 percent of working nurses have seriously considered leaving the field entirely.
This article outlines nine career options for LPNs/LVNs or registered nurses who want something completely different, along with more than 20 good jobs for ex nurses who want to take on roles that don’t involve direct patient care. It also describes several job options for RNs who would like to continue providing hands-on nursing care, but outside of a hospital. Bottom line: You absolutely can create a more satisfying future for yourself. Read on to discover the incredible range of new possibilities!
Salary information is based on data from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program unless indicated as being from PayScale, Salary.com, Indeed, or Cruise Ship Jobs.
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Considering The Career Potential
If your ultimate goal is to work in hospital administration, then you should try to begin building up your hospital experience. Perhaps your want to one day work as a labor and delivery nurse. If so, you might consider a job in an obstetricians office to get your career going. All nursing experience will help you in some way, but the point is, you dont have to accept the first offer you get. Aim for the jobs that will provide the best stepping stones for your intended career path.
If Youre A Nurse Who Wants To Get Out Of The Hospital And Shift To A Career Youre Here In This World For To Do Read On
Got caught in the nursing boom of early 2000s, huh?
A promise of working abroad, with dollars to rake, huge houses and several cars to own a total financial security dream, I get you.
I only needed to hear one thing to sign up to a nursing school I get to travel !
Oh the dreamy New York dreams of youth.
I was young, didnt know whatto do after college . I took up BS Biology as a premed course but come NMAT review sign-up, I found myself pausing and really contemplating if I really wanted to be a doctor.
You see, hours and hours of microscope work in the laboratory, dissecting specimens didnt really encourage me to proceed to medicine to do more of that.
10 more or so years of study, of social suicide, of missing out on life as it happens only to be a mediocre doctor were enough for me to quit it.
P10,000 for an NMAT review gives you that clarity, I guess :).
After I graduated, you can imagine how even more lost I was. I cant imagine myself being a professor, a researcher, a lab person all those career paths for a Biology graduate.
Those who dont have a clear destination can easily be swayed to follow the crowd.
And the crowd in 2005 was going to nursing schools.
I didnt have a destination, time is ticking, for some archaic reason, taking a gap year isnt an option.
I had to keep moving. My batchmates were either enrolling in their medicine school of choice or sending in resumes to companies.
I cant see myself doing any of the only 2 logical available options.
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What I Wish Someone Told Me Before Becoming A Registered Nurse
By Brianna Flavin on 05/18/2020
Jumping into something new is scary when you dont have all of the facts. Thats exactly why choosing a career is so challenging. Its not like you can just spend a few years in school, try out a job for a bit and jump to another if you dont like itwell, at least not without more education and training.
Becoming a registered nurse is no different. We all think we know what an RN does, based on TV shows or our real-life interactions at hospitals or doctors offices. But what goes on behind the scenes? Is nursing school worth it once youre on the other side?
What is it like to be a nurse? Its not easy to get a clear picture of this career without speaking to those whove walked the walk. So to help, we rounded up nursing experts to tell you what they wish theyd known BEFORE becoming an RN.
Read their advice and find out a few lessons they learned along the way.
So If You Still Cant Find That Inbe Open To Other Specialties
This happens more than people talk about. No one ever wants to think that theyll be the ones that have to start in med-surg cause they didnt get a job in the ICU. Or that youll have to start in adults because you didnt get that peds job. YOU WILL BE OKAY IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU. You hear this all the time but its true just get your year of experience in. And you can apply anywhere after that. That experience under your belt truly does make a difference. Dont get super depressed if youve dreamed about ICU or ED your entire life and you cant get a job. You have the rest of your career to be a nurse wherever you desire. One year on med-surg or progressive care will build the foundation you need to be an awesome critical care nurse and to be honest, it will make the transition into ICU much smoother with experience. You will be able to focus and learn the newer medications, procedures, and devices easier with your knowledge of a good nursing assessment and critical thinking skills instead of learning the basics of how to actually be a nurse in the middle of a high-acuity intensive care unit. Beginning your nursing career on a floor that wasnt your top choice is never a negative.
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What Is A Nurse Attorney
Nurse attorneys are licensed as both registered nurses and attorneys. This dual role allows them to integrate law into their healthcare practice or organization, or address healthcare concerns in their law practice. Healthcare cannot be delivered without laws governing practice and regulations to ensure safe patient care. In the complex world of healthcare, more and more crossover is seen between the two entities.
Tips For Finding Your First Nursing Job
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The Nursing Shortage Is National But May Not Be Local
All of the numbers that get bandied about are aggregate numbers. This means that they may not hold up in specific localities. For example, there are 1,728 Registered Nurses per 100,000 residents in Washington DC but only 605 per 100,000 in Nevada. As a result, its fair to expect that the job market in Washington DC is more competitive than it is in Nevada.
And its typically true that shortages for all medical professionals are more acute in rural areas than they are in major metropolitan areas. For example, the rural city of Merced, California is estimated to have 195 nurses per 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, San Francisco, California has 960.
As a result, its a great idea to consider alternative locations for your first nursing job. Research potential locations and be ready in advance for the licensing process as its always best to have the applicable state license prior to applying for positions. Its much more likely that potential employers will be willing to invest the time and money to train a new-grad RN in areas where the nursing shortage is most severe.
What Is The Fastest Way Of Becoming An Rn
Many people might think that pursuing an associates degree in nursing is the quickest way of becoming a registered nurse, particularly as opposed to earning a four-year BSN. After all, an associates degree in nursing takes an average of only two years to complete. But as mentioned above, while an associates degree in nursing may fulfill the technical requirements of becoming an RN, more and more employers now require that any new hires earn their BSN in order to be considered for an RN position.
With this in mind, if speed is important to you, you are likely to be better served by pursuing an accelerated BSN program which will allow you to earn your bachelor of science in nursing in less than the standard four years.
For example, Regis College offers multiple degrees which are specifically designed to help students graduate as quickly as possible so that they can start their career, including:
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The Nursing Shortage Considers All Nursing Professions Not Just Acute Care Hospital Nurses
Next, its important to note that the nursing shortage estimates account for ALL nursing specialties and professions. 60-65% of registered nurses work in an acute care setting. This means that 35-40% of registered nurses work outside this setting. These settings include nursing care facilities, home healthcare services, outpatient care centers, physicians offices and many others.
Meanwhile. many nursing students expect to work in an acute care setting straight out of college. Landing these jobs is highly competitive. New grads will be competing with experienced nurses from all settings for the same jobs. Moreover, the cost to train a new grad in a hospital setting is quite high. Estimates range from $14,000 on the low-end to more than $50,000 on the high-end if the dropout and turnover rates of new-grad RNs is considered.
Its also important to remember that Acute Care Hospital nursing tends to be among the highest paying and most prestigious professional settings for nurses. Its also considered by many to be a highly technical and assiduous setting. Again, this all means that competition is fierce for these positions.
Therefore, its a good idea to look into alternative options. As a nursing student, research all the various settings to find a backup plan that youll be happy with. It may not be your dream job, but it will provide you with valuable experience. After a year or two, youll be the one submitting your resume including applicable experience for hospital jobs.
Becoming A Nurse Attorney
A strong interest in both law and healthcare leads many to become nurse attorneys. Whether one starts out in the medical field or the law field, becoming a nurse attorney requires the completion of both a law degree and a nursing degree, and many choose to work in one field to gain experience while pursuing the additional degree.
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What Draws People To Nursing
Many people become nurses because they feel called to make a positive difference in patients’ lives. After all, dispensing compassion and comfort is the essence of the job.
Many other factors also make this a compelling career choice. For one thing, nurses are in demand, and there is a shortage of nurses across America. And as the population gets older and current nurses retire, more job openings will become available. Opportunities should continue to proliferate all over the country.
Plus, nurses have lots of specialties to choose from. Whether your interests lie in psychiatry, critical care, neonatology, cardiology, or some other area, you can find a nursing niche to suit you.
You can also make decent money in this field. For instance, school nurses make a median salary of about $47,000 a year, pediatric nurses make $61,000, and labor and delivery nurses make $65,000, according to PayScale. Certified registered nurse anesthetists are the kind of nurses that get paid the most, with a median salary of around $175,000, says the OEWS. And if you’re looking for something a bit different, travel nurses make up to $48 an hour and often have their housing costs covered.
Figuring Out The Logistics
Location and work schedule are two things that may or may not matter to you depending on your situation. Naturally, the more open you are to working nights, weekends, or 12-hour shifts, the more likely it is that you can find work in a hospital. However, there are plenty of 9-5 nursing jobs out there, and others that let you set your own hours. As far as where the job is located, that should be a consideration if youll have to factor in a long or expensive commute.
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Identifying The Best Nursing Jobs
As you research the best nursing jobs”, remember that what’s best for someone else may not be what’s best for you. This phrase is totally subjective, and people enter the nursing field for different reasons with different passions, lifestyles, and family life. What you may be thinking about when researching the best nursing jobs is actually the highest paying nursing jobs. That’s another story…
To help you sort through, we’ve compiled this list of 22 nursing jobs that span the spectrum of career opportunities for people with nursing degrees. Read through them with an open mind you’ll be surprised at what’s out there!
How To Get A Job After Nursing School
In this article, Im going to talk about how hard getting a job after nursing school will be.
Along with that, Im going to tell you some of the things you can do to start preparing today and make getting a job after graduation a little easier.
*Disclosure: This article on how to get a job after nursing school may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. For more info, please see my disclaimer.
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You Have To Deal With Your School Debt
Be mindful of how much debt you have.
Because of the exponentially increasing costs of higher education , many college students take out student loans.
Those student loans allow the nursing student to pay for their ADN or BSN program or make ends meet while attending school.
While taking out a loan to pay for a nursing program might be at times a necessary evil, you still need to keep track of the amount of student loans you have and when youll have to start paying those loans back.
Youll be tempted to ignore it and pretend it doesnt exist. This will be made worse when you see your friends on social media taking vacations or buying new cars.
I want to encourage you to not fall into that trap.
Depending on your situation, you might be one of those with a couple thousand to well over six figures in debt, and as overwhelming as it might be, try to formulate a game plan.
Otherwise, you could be shackled with that heavy burden of student debt for decades to come.
Here are some resources you might find helpful for tackling your student debt.
- Hire a financial advisor to help you set up a budget on how to manage your finances. You can also read this article on budgeting tips for nurses.